Penn State - Chances of Acceptance at Penn State for Petroleum Engineering?

[Khayembii Communique]

I'm considering applying for graduate school at PSU in their Petroleum Engineering program and am really not sure what my chances of being accepted are. I apologize for the length but I wanted to fit it all in, please someone help me!

UNDERGRADUATE WORK

I received my BS in Civil Engineering (with a Geotechnical emphasis) from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. I finished this in 4 years with a GPA of 2.98, but went to school afterwards for an extra two semesters for an Economics major which bumped my degree GPA up (the one schools look at I think) to 3.023. On my transcript this is listed as my degree GPA under both my BSCE and my Post-Baccelaureate Major. My Junior/Senior average GPA is somewhere around 3.2.

Regarding academics, my only major downside is that I received an F in one class due to personal issues I was going through that semester (double downside is that this was in my area of emphasis - geotechnical engineering) but rectified it the following semester by retaking the class and getting an A. I received an A in every class for my emphasis that I took. This professor will also write one of my recommendation letters.

I have also passed the FE exam and am a designated EIT. I got this my senior year while taking 17 credits of engineering courses, working on my senior project and working 30-40 hours a week.

I was in the Honor's college for 1 or 2 years. I was on the Dean's Honor Roll for 1 or 2 semesters. I participated as a dues paying member in American Society of Civil Engineers and Engineers Without Borders. In ASCE we won the most competitions at the Rose-Hull regional conference in 2010 (though we didn't participate in steel bridge or concrete canoe).

I also studied abroad in Great Britain for one summer, taking classes on History and Politics in which I received A's.

PROFESSIONAL WORK

I have had an engineering internship over one summer at a government office that deals with wastewater conveyance and another which produces LED signs. I am currently employed at a SolidWorks reseller performing FEA analysis on a consultative basis, assisting clients with design and SolidWorks issues and general technical support.

VOLUNTEER WORK

I've done a ton of volunteer work from the time that I was a kid up until now. I've done all kinds of stuff like working in community organizations to advocate for the construction of parks; helped dismantle, transport and rebuild a log cabin for the local historic society; volunteered as an assistant to the Village Board of my home town; and a ton of other stuff that I can't think of off the top of my head right now.

NOW, the downsides:

1. I squandered my opportunities in college as an undergraduate in that I only have one professor that I have maintained contact with, and he was my professor in the honors college and teaches history.

I only know of one other professor - my geotechnical - that could write a letter of recommendation for me, and I'm not sure if he even remembers me, as I graduated in 2010 and professors deal with tons of new students every semester.

So I am not sure if I could use the former as a letter of recommendation as he teaches history and nothing related to the program I'm trying to enter, and I'm worried the latter won't remember me and will write a very generic letter that won't be very convincing.

2. I don't have many professional contacts who would be willing to write rec letters. My internship at the government office was soured due to my managers being incredibly rude to me and the other company I interned at I was dismissed from due to office politics (i.e. my dad working there as a manager and getting laid off). That company also recently went bankrupt.

I'm worried that my low GPA is going to negatively affect my chances of being accepted. I'm also worried that if I don't get good letters of recommendation to offset my GPA it will seal the deal, and I don't even know who to ask to get any rec letters.

I'm seriously thinking about contacting my old professors and, even if they don't remember me, offering to do research work with them for the next few months in order to procure a decent rec letter, though I don't even know if this is possible, especially because I have a full time job.

Anyone experienced with this know my chances of being accepted, or how I could increase them? Obviously ace the GRE and write an awesome statement of purpose, but what about my GPA and the rec letters?

Edited September 9, 2011 by Khayembii Communique

[Khayembii Communique]

Heh I just saw the sticky, maybe I shouldn't be asking my chances, but rather how significantly my GPA/rec letter issue could affect my application status.